Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

When thinking about well known instrumental hits from the 1950s and 1960s the past couple of days, I was amazed to see that many never made it to number one. This too, even at a time when instruments were in vogue.

Why did they not reach number one?Was it from the competition of other material just prior to their final climb to the top?Did they become boring, lacking the added dimension of a lyric?

While not an exhaustive list, the following instrumentals all reached number 1 in the charts. I would be interested to see if you can recall any more. While there are likely more, that I could not easily find more than a couple dozen number one instrumentals.

1953
Moulin Rouge - Mantovani & His Orchestra (UK)

1955
Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White - Perez Prado (US & UK)
Cherry Pink And Apple Blossom White - Eddie Calvert (UK)

1958
Patricia - Perez Prado (US)
Tequilla - The Champs (US)

1959
Sleepwalk - Santo and Johnny (US)
Happy Organ - Dave Cortez (US)

1960
Wonderland By Night - Bert Kaempfert (US)
Apache - The Shadows (UK)
The Theme From A Summer Place - Percy Faith And His Orchestra (US)

1961
Stranger On The Shore - Acker Bilk (UK)
Kon-Tiki - The Shadows (UK)
Telstar - The Tornados (UK)
Calcutta - Lawrence Welk

1962
Stranger On The Shore - Acker Bilk (US)
Wonderful Land - The Shadows (UK)
Dance On - The Shadows (UK)
Nut Rocker - Bee Bumble & The Stingers (UK)
Telstar - The Tornadoes (US)
The Stripper - David Rose US)

1963
Foot Tapper - The Shadows (UK)
Diamonds - Harris & Meehan (UK)

1968
Love Is Blue - Paul Mauriat (US)
The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly - Hugo Montenegro (UK)

1969
Love Theme from Romeo & Juliet - Henry Mancini (US)
Albatross - Fleetwood Mac (UK)
Grazin in the Grass - Hugh Masekela

'Grazin in the Grass', Hugh Masekela comes to mind, believe it reached #1 in '69. What's hard to believe is that 'Classical Gas' didn't, only the year before.

Thanks Stan. I especially like your observation of a song that did not make it, in spite of its popularity, Classical Gas. I am still surprised that songs such as Walk Don't Run, Pipeline, Green Onions and Hawaii Five O did not get to the top spot.

I am not an instrumental buff but didn't Henry Mancini have a string of hits with his music in the 60's? I seem to recall that Ferrante and Teicher had some hits as well.

Brian: Both of the artists you mention had some fine releases, however, outside of the Theme from Romeo and Juliet, I do not believe that any others were number one.

Albatross/Fleetwood Mac ?

You stole my thunder Einar, Albatross was indeed a number 1 in UK in 1969.

Peter does state not an exhaustive list and if I may be pedantic Tornados made number in US in 1962 not 61.

Interestingly Perez Perado is mentioned and this was also a number 1 in UK for Eddie Calvert.

There are another 7/8 tracks that made number 1 in UK between 53 and 69 but I suspect would not appeal to any members on here aside from perhaps Hugo Montenegro's Good Bad and Ugly.

As for US, off top of my head I can only immediately think of Dave Cortez's Happy Organ in 62

Les Baxter Orchestra had a US number 1, I think with Unchained Melody

I read somewhere that Mr. Acker Bilk's single, Stranger on the Shore, was also #1 in the U.S. making him the first Brit to hit number one in America. True?

Whoever answered, thanks. Little voodoo there, answering my post, within my post.

Stan: I am sorry for the edit. Here is the reply that was meant to go here.

True, Stan. Acker reached #1 in 1962 in the US.

That was weird indeed. I was beginning to think you were talking to yourself Stan.

winston wrote:That was weird indeed. I was beginning to think you were talking to yourself Stan.

Well, ahem, at times I may talk to myself. But so far, I'm not answering my own questions. Sadly though, I'm likely asking myself questions. Good thing I don't reply, because it would probably be the wrong answer.

Now, back to the topic at hand.

Thanks for the list, Erik. It brought back a few more memories.

As we look over this list of number one instrumentals, it would seem that there was too much competition for the top spots during the British Invasion from 1964 to 1967.

Also, the lyrics, vocal tones and their interaction do give us added dimensions to be processed and stored by the brain.

To follow along with the quest to explain why instrumentals have appeal, but maybe only to a limited audience. Do you consider that instrumentals are capable of being as moving as vocals with their harmonies and lyrics. While I love instrumentals I do not find that they can induce the shimmering, shivering or tingling sensation in the back of my neck that vocal harmonies do.

buzfluhart wrote:I read somewhere that Mr. Acker Bilk's single, Stranger on the Shore, was also #1 in the U.S. making him the first Brit to hit number one in America. True?

FALSE!! This honour goes to ''Auf Wiedersehn Sweetheart" by Vera Lynn in summer 1952. It was the first record by a British artist to top the US charts, doing so for nine weeks.

From Rob